Adjustable keel for snowmobile skis and the like

ABSTRACT

A slot in the ski enables a keel to extend therethrough. This keel is adjustable vertically in the supports to compensate for wear and to permit adjustment to varying ice and snow conditions.

United States Patent Inventor Nelson D. Shorrock RR. #1, Dryden, Ontario, Canada 7 42,621 June 2, 1970 Jan. 4, 1972 Appl. No. Filed Patented ADJUSTABLE KEEL FOR SNOWMOBILE SKIS AND THE LIKE 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

0.8. CI 280/28 Int. Cl B62b 17/02 Field of Search 280/28 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,204 8/1923 Knowles 280/ 28 2,741,487 4/1956 Carefoot 280/28 Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney-Kent & Ade

ABSTRACT: A slot in the ski enables a keel to extend therethrough. This keel is adjustable vertically in the supports to compensate for wear and to pennit adjustment to varying ice and snow conditions.

ADJUSTABLE KEEL FOR SNOWMOBILE SKIS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in skis, particularly skis for snowmobiles and similar vehicles. It is well known that such vehicles suffer from side slip when cornering, particularly when the surface is hard packed snow or ice.

Various attempts have been made to provide a central keel for such skis in order to enable it to bite into the surface to a greater or lesser extent thus facilitating the turning action.

However, many of these do not provide adjustment and furthermore they are extremely difficult to attach and manufacture due to the multiplicity of parts normally required.

The present device overcomes all of these disadvantages by providing a very simple ski mounting for the keel which is extremely rigid and is easily adjustable from both ends with the minimum of trouble.

The device is economical in manufacture, simple in construction and otherwise suitable for the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing in view, and such other or further purposes, advantages or novel features as may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of, and is hereby claimed to reside in, the inventive concept which is comprised, embodied, embraced, or included in the method, process, construction, composition, arrangement or combination of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing, of which concept, one or more specific embodiments of same are herein exemplified as illustrative only of such concept, reference being had to the accompany Figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one snowmobile ski showing the device in situ.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the ski and keel per se enlarged in respect to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difi'erent figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference character illustrates a conventional snowmobile ski having an upwardly curved end 11 and a bracing handle 12 as clearly shown. Spring mounts or shackles 13 are secured to the upper surface 14 of the ski adjacent the front and rear ends and a leaf spring 15 extends between these mounts in the usual way, king pin 16 mounting the spring and hence the ski to the body of the vehicle and steering mechanism (not illustrated). The portion between the shackles is referred to as the main planar portion.

My assembly collectively designated 17 consists of a keel plate 18, and mounting guides or plates 19, it being understood that a longitudinally extending slot 20 is formed through the main planar portion of the ski centrally of the sides thereof and between the spring mounts 13 but terminating short thereof.

The mount for the keel consists of a pair of elongated side plates 19 mounted in spaced and parallel relationship upon the upper surface 14 of the ski one upon each side of the sidewalls of the slot 20, said plates being welded to the upper surface 14 as indicated by reference character 21.

The keel plate 18 is an elongated relatively thin crosssectioned rectangular member mounted between the plates 19 and movable up and down so that the lower edge 22 thereof extends through the slot and below the under surface 23 of the ski.

The keel 18 is mounted for limited vertical adjustment within the guides or plates 19 by a pair of nut and bolt assemblies 24 which extend through vertical pairs of slots 25 in side plates 19 and through the keel plate 18 as clearly shown. This permits the vertical adjustment of one end or the other of the keel or both as may be desired.

However, I have found it desirable to drop the rear end 26 of the keel slightly below the level of the front end 27 thereof in order to facilitate the keel action.

The keel plate 18 is easily replaceable if worn and is easily adjustable for various running surfaces. Furthermore the attachment of the side plates by welding, to the upper side of the ski, gives the necessary rigidity to the assembly and strengthens the ski itself.

Various modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept which is herein disclosed and/or claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a ski for snowmobiles and the like, the combination of a onepiece elongated runner having front and rear ends and provided with a central longitudinally extending slot which terminates at points spaced longitudinally inwardly from the respective front and rear ends of the runner so that portions of the runner at the opposite sides of the slot are integrally connected together by the end portions of the runner beyond the ends of the slot, a pair of upstanding horizontally elongated plates secured to the upper surface of said runner at the respective opposite side edges of said slot, the end portions of said plates being provided with transversely aligned vertical slots, an upstanding horizontally elongated keel adjustably positioned between said plates with its lower edge portion projecting below the underside of the runner, and a pair of bolt and nut assemblies extending transversely through the respective end portions of said keel and through the vertical slots in said plates, whereby to retain the keel in position and facilitate independent vertical adjustment of the end portions of the keel relative to the runner.

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1. In a ski for snowmobiles and the like, the combination of a one-piece elongated runner having front and rear ends and provided with a central longitudinally extending slot which terminates at points spaced longitudinally inwardly from the respective front and rear ends of the runner so that portions of the runner at the opposite sides of the slot are integrally connected together by the end portions of the runner beyond the ends of the slot, a pair of upstanding horizontally elongated plates secured to the upper surface of said runner at the respective opposite side edges of said slot, the end portions of said plates being provided with transversely aligned vertical slots, an upstanding horizontally elongated keel adjustably positioned between said plates with its lower edge portion projecting below the underside of the runner, and a pair of bolt and nut assemblies extending transversely through the respective end portions of said keel and through the vertical slots in said plates, whereby to retain the keel in position and facilitate independent vertical adjustment of the end portions of the keel relative to the runner. 